


My First Kiss Went a Little Like This

by i_write_shakespeare_not_disney



Category: PJO - Fandom, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, Solangelo - Fandom, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan, toa - Fandom
Genre: Angst, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, solangelo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 15:17:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7719778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_write_shakespeare_not_disney/pseuds/i_write_shakespeare_not_disney
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico has never like being touched. He's never really known how to communicate with living beings and the transition is slow but steady. And thankfully, Will doesn't mind it. But one day, three simple words make things not so simple anymore. Entering panic mode, Nico makes a decision he quickly regrets. Now he'll do anything to make it better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My First Kiss Went a Little Like This

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Nightmares and Solace](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7311295) by [i_write_shakespeare_not_disney](https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_write_shakespeare_not_disney/pseuds/i_write_shakespeare_not_disney). 



It had been several months since Nico had begun staying in the Apollo cabin. He’d gotten far more comfortable with holding Will’s hand in public after he held it for the first time. Even that had taken some getting used to.

Now, they were in the infirmary, sitting on a cot, holding hands. Will was playing with his fingers. “Can I ask you something?” Nico asked as Will hummed softly. His blue eyes flickered up to him, creating tiny skeletal butterflies in Nico’s stomach. “Does it ever bother you?”

“Does what ever bother me?” he asked, using his thumb to stroke the skull ring on Nico’s finger.

Nico cleared his throat. “You know, how slow everything is going. We’ve been dating almost a year now and…. All I do is hold your hand and let you kiss me on the cheek.” He shrugged. “I mean, I know all the other couples are a lot more show-y and-”

“All the other couples are not us,” Will interrupted. He held Nico’s hand tighter. “Look, when I asked you out, I promised myself I wouldn’t push you. That we’d take this with a pace you were comfortable with. I know it’s hard for you, Nico. After the Lotus, and all the things you’ve seen…. I get it. And it’s okay.” He paused and Will reached a hand over to him, hesitating before touching his face. Nico looked up at him and leaned into the warm hand. “It doesn’t bother me.”

“Okay,” Nico answered quietly. “You make me really happy,” he told him, closing his eyes. “It’s been a long time since I was happy.” 

That night, the camp gathered together for a campfire before the fireworks. Will and his cabin led a sing-along and Nico watched happily. He loved the sound of Will’s voice. And he loved seeing the fire’s flames go up in bright orange and yellow, so lively and happy.

“Alright, everyone, five minutes until midnight!” someone shouted. Will’s hand laced with Nico’s and he pulled him over to a blanket to lay down and watch the sky.

Nico smiled as he laid back beside Will, their hands interlocked. Will turned sideways beside him and Nico turned his head. “What?”

Will smiled serenely and closed his eyes. One hand came up to rest lightly on his cheek. It made Nico nervous, and it made his heart race. In a good way. “Nico,” he drawled, his voice like sweet, smooth honey. “Is it okay if I tell you that I love you…?”

Nico’s breathing stopped. His whole body went cold and he sat upright. When he was able to breathe again, his breaths came fast and the scene before tipped sideways.

“Nico?” Will questioned gently, sitting up as well. “Hey you don’t have to say it back or-”

“You know, m-maybe we should just be friends,” Nico blurted. Will didn’t answer. Nico’s eyes flickered to him to see him pale faced and shocked. “I-I’m sorry.” Nico got up and started away from the rest of the demigods, and began running to his cabin. As he got into his cabin, he heard the fireworks begin and he shut his eyes.

Frustrated, he hit his head against the door, gritting his teeth. What in the world was that? What had he just said? What had Will said? What was love anyway? How was Nico supposed to react to that? After telling him he wouldn’t push, why would Will drop something like that onto him? Why did he feel so panicked?

He shook his head and covered his mouth trying to calm himself down. He’d battled monsters and gone through Tartarus. He could handle a weird, crazy, sudden bombshell from a son of Apollo. He took a deep steadying breath and laid down in his bed. It was unfamiliar after so long.

He laid down and covered himself, not bothering to change his clothes. That night, he dreamed of nothing. Still, when he woke up he felt anxious and restless. The memory of the night before hit him like a brick to the face and he had the urge to hide in his cabin for the rest of the day, and possibly the rest of the year.

A knock at the door made his head snap up and he nervously stood to answer. Of course, it couldn’t be anyone but Will.

He was looking at Nico with the strangest expression. Actually, Nico realized, it wasn’t a strange expression at all- it was simply strange to see on Will’s face. It was absolute devastation. “Look, I’m sorry if what I said scared you, Nico-”

“No, it’s cool,” Nico said quickly. He stepped outside and shut the door, stepping past Will. “I mean, friends, right?” He heard Will scoff behind him as he followed.

“You can’t be serious, Nico. Not after this long?” Nico sighed and kept walking, realizing belatedly he had no idea where to go. He was always in the infirmary. He turned away and started for the arena instead. “Nico, would you hold on?” he called.

He jogged up to him and Nico shrunk into himself. “Look, I mean, I- this- we weren’t going to work out anyway. I think we both knew that.”

“No, no we didn’t know that,” Will protested, keeping up with Nico. “That’s kind of why I said what I said, Nico!” Nico rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Would you stop and talk to me for a second?” he shouted. He pulled his arm and turned him around.

Nico immediately snatched away and snapped, “ _Don’t touch me!”_

Will stared at him with wide eyes and Nico thought it would be best to look away from him. “No. Don’t do that, don’t you dare shut me out, Nico.”

Nico scowled and turned away. “Fine, if you don’t want to be friends either, we won’t be. I don’t care.”

That must have done the trick. It kept Will rooted to his spot as Nico walked away and pulled his sword free. Each step he took resulted in the grass wilting at his feet. People began to steer clear of him and the cold atmosphere around him.

At lunch, Nico sat at his own table, earning himself stares from everyone else that had gotten used to seeing him at the Apollo table. There were whispers and glances thrown at both himself and Will. He glanced up and saw Will with that same pained expression, not touching his food, and his siblings nudging him lightly. Kayla looked up at him and frowned, causing Nico’s jaw to tighten. He got up and left the pavilion to shut himself in his room.

The routine went on for almost two weeks. It wasn’t long before the anger in Nico turned into a familiar melancholy. Loneliness crept its way back into him, and no longer having anyone to make him laugh or smile was starting to make him panic.

Will had cared for him. Will had been patient with him and considerate and he made Nico happier than he had been in a long time. How could Nico have been so stupid as to let that go?

Seeing Will in camp didn’t overwhelm him with panic anymore. It just filled him with longing and guilt. He missed holding his hand and the small gestures Will did like pecking his cheek or playing with a strand of hair. He missed the soothing song he’d sing before Nico fell asleep and he missed the playful banter they carried throughout the day. He missed seeing him smile and helping him in the infirmary.

He missed Will. He missed Will so much it hurt.

Nico had returned to being unable to sleep. Not because of nightmares, but because his mind wandered too much and his thoughts had begun to make him feel suffocated. He sat outside of his cabin late one night, leaning his head against the wall. He stared at the center hearth as it glowed, warm and welcoming.

The sound of footsteps made him tense and he looked up to see Will coming out of the woods with a boy that Nico only knew by his face. He wasn’t an Apollo kid. Nico’s stomach twisted uncomfortably and rage sparked through his body. The boy patted Will on the arm and disappeared into a cabin. Will’s shoulders sagged once the boy went away and he looked up at the sky.

Nico wasn’t sure if it was because Will had sensed him there or if his eyes were simply drawn to the cabin, but whatever the case, those clear blue eyes, vibrant even in the night, flickered over to where he was. His lips parted in surprise and Nico felt his breath hitch. Even now, he could feel his heart hammering.

Will shut his eyes and turned away. Surprisingly, Nico got to his feet and called after him. “Will, wait.” He did. He stopped but didn’t turn around. “I-I’m sorry.”

He heard Will scoff and the sandy haired teen turned around with a tired look in his eyes. “Is that all?” he muttered in a voice very unlike the voice Nico knew.

Nico gulped and fidgeted with his ring. “I know I don’t have the right to ask… but can we talk?” Then, because Will was a good person, completely different from Nico, he walked over to where Nico stood. He tilted his head and looked at him expectantly.

Nico took a shaky breath and took in the refreshing scent of the boy in front of him. He basked in the warmth Will’s very presence provided and tried to focus on his eyes. “Um, I know… I freaked out when you said….” Will nodded, saving Nico from repeating it, his cheeks flushing. “But… that’s just because I’m not used to affection. So my first reaction was to push it away. I push away anything mildly out of my comfort zone. I’m not used to people caring about me. And I guess it made me feel pressured to always be a good b-boyfriend, and I know I can’t be….”

He took another breath as Will looked at him sadly. “I never meant to hurt you like this, Will. I never wanted you to look so unlike yourself because of me. But I’m a mess, you know? I’m not good with emotions, much less people. But you made it feel like I didn’t have to be. When I was with you, it seemed like you just knew what I meant to say. I never had to explain myself, you just knew.”

Will cleared his throat and rubbed his neck. “Okay. I mean, what are you trying to say? That you’re sorry I fell for you? That you’re sorry you broke up with me?” His voice cracked and Nico winced. “If that’s all, it’s fine. I’m not good at keeping grudges. I mean-”

“That’s not all I’m trying to say,” Nico sighed. He rubbed his temples and shut his eyes. He was afraid to make a fool of himself. What if Will was so hurt by him he didn’t give him another chance? What if he’d gotten over it?

There was nothing to lose, he supposed. He could swallow his pride for a moment to be honest with the boy who had always been honest with him. “I miss you, Will,” he said hoarsely. “I miss you so much. With you, I never felt alone. I laughed and smiled, and I had friends. Most importantly I had you.” Nico gulped and let out a shaking breath. “I miss holding your hand and helping you in the infirmary and joking with you. I miss seeing you smile and hearing you laugh. I miss your voice, I miss the look in your eyes when you were happy and I hate myself for doing this to you.” Nico’s words began tumbling over each other, desperate to get out.

“I want you back, Will. I want to be with you again, I want to fall asleep with you holding my hand and wake up to you flicking water in my face and I want to hear you ramble on and on about medicine and health.” He looked up into Will’s eyes which had become glassy with tears he wouldn’t let spill. “I don’t like being away from you, I want to be with you because you make me happy, you make everything better, and when I’m with you, things are just okay. I-I-I-.” Nico began stammering and as he looked at Will, he realized what all of these swarms of emotions were.

At least this is what he imagine it was like. Feeling so light with a person and so heavy without. So even though he had never really known what the phrase meant, it seemed right, and he managed to whisper it so softly the night swallowed it, but not before Will heard him.

“I’m in love with you too.”

After saying it, Nico felt like a weight had been lifted from him, and laughter began to bubble in his chest, mixed with panic and nervousness. Will stared at him in shock and his breaths became shallow.

“Holy schist,” Will murmured.

Nico laughed anxiously and felt his hands begin to shake. “Oh gods, what did I just do?” he giggled. “Oh that was- I don’t- do you? Oh gods.”

“Nico, Nico, Nico,” Will whispered, taking his hands in his own. He smiled at him kindly and pressed his lips to Nico’s hands. “It’s okay. I still love you just as much as the moment I told you I did,” he assured. “You are a complete idiot, Nico di Angelo.”

“I’m sorry,” he breathed. Will shook his head and smiled against Nico’s hands. “So… are we…?”

Will opened his eyes and pulled Nico into a hug. “We’re okay. We’re okay, Nico.”

Nico sighed in relief and as Will began to pull back, he whispered his name. Before Will could ask, Nico curled a hand at the nape of his neck and pulled him in.

The feeling of someone else’s lips was surprising and strange, but in a good way. Will’s lips were warm, but frozen in shock as Nico pressed his own against his a little harder. Nico had no idea what exactly he was supposed to do, so it was a relief when Will unfroze and kissed him back.

Nico didn’t know kisses could work without tongue and teeth, but he was grateful they could. He enjoyed the sweet, innocent pressure of only Will’s lips against his own, his lips encasing Nico’s bottom lip before switching to his top lip.

He loved the way every nerve ending came alive and the adrenaline and excitement coursing through his veins as fireworks went off in his chest, in his head, and all over him. He’d never felt so alive.

When he pulled back, Will was staring at him in wonder and Nico felt himself blush. “I’m sorry if that was bad,” he whispered, a hand at Will’s freckled cheek.

“Was that your first kiss?” Will whispered, still in awe. Nico nodded slowly. Will smiled and pulled him in again by the lapels of his leather jacket. Nico was on the toes of his rundown boots, but it didn’t matter.

After realizing how much he loved the perfect, complete dork kissing him, Nico didn’t think anything else would ever really matter.


End file.
